Nigeria’s judicial philosophy too old – Agbakoba

A former President of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has insisted that the petitions at the presidential election petition tribunal could be decided within seven days.

Agbakoba also blamed the country’s judicial philosophy, which he described as a hundred years old, for the delay in deciding cases at the election tribunal.

He stated this on Wednesday while fielding questions on Arise Television’s Morning Show program.

The legal expert wondered why it would take 360 days to do something very simple.

“There’s a context in which I recommended that we should finish the petitions as fast as possible, and I think seven days is a good time to go. The fact that the Constitution prescribes a time limit doesn’t mean that that time limit must actually run. So the context of my call is that the politics is overheated.

“The other day, the Minister of Information (Lai Mohammed) was accusing Mr Peter Obi of treason, people wanting interim government and all kinds of things going around. The DSS is shouting that there are people all over the place doing some certain things.

“The judicial philosophy of Nigeria is about hundred years old, Nigeria is not known for speed. Why is it possible that Ghana finishes its own election petition in 30 days, why can’t we also do it here. We have 360 days to do something that is very simple.”